Rotary engine.



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(Application filed Sept. 14, 1899.)

(No Model.)

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0.. was" CHARLES M. CONNER, OF OTISOO, INDIANA.

ROTARY ENGINE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 640,746, dated January9, 1900.

Application filed September 14, 1899. Serial NO. 730,462. No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, CHARLES M. CONNER, a citizen of the UnitedStates,residing at Otisco, in the county of Clarke and State of Indiana,have invented a new and useful Rotary Engine, of which the following isa specification.

This invention relates to rotary engines, and more particularly to thatclass including a rotatable piston having a radially-movable abutment;and the object of the invention is to provide a simple and efficientconstruction in which the friction of the abutment will be reduced to aminimum.

In the drawings forming a portion of this specification and in whichlike reference characters designate corresponding parts in the severalviews, Figure 1 is a side elevation showing the engine with one of thecylinder heads or plates removed and showing the reversing mechanism insection,as also the inlet and outlet ports. Fig. 2 is a perspective viewshowing the rotatable piston with the abutment removed and illustratingthe location and arrangement of the friction-rollers. Fig. 3 is aperspective view of the movable abutment and showing the adjustablepacking in the ends thereof. Fig. 4 is a transverse section takenthrough the piston and the abutment and showing the friction-rollers inelevation. I

Referring now to the drawings, the engine consists of a cylinder 5,having a suitable base 6 and the ends of which are adapted to be closedby means of the usual plates or heads held in place in any desiredmanner. This cylinder 5 has a central bore 7 and within which isrotatably mounted a revoluble piston 8 upon a shaft 9 at a point abovethe center of the bore of the cylinder and in such a position that theperiphery of the .piston will have slidable contact with the uppermostportion of the inner periphery of the cylinder. Passages l0 and 11 areformed vertically of the cylinder and open into the inclosure thereofupon opposite sides of the point of contact of the piston therewith,said passages having communicating tapered channels 12 and 13 formed inthe inner periphery of the cylinder and communicating therewith.

Upon the upper portion of the cylinder 5 is located a steam-chest 14, inwhich the passages or ports 10 and 11 open, and in this chest isarranged a slide-valve 15, adapted to connect the ports 10 and 11alternately with the supply and exhaust pipes for the engine in theusual manner.

The piston 8 comprises two segmental portions'16 and 17, separated attheir ends by interspaces 18 and 19, and connected between their ends bymeans of a block 20, having a width somewhat less than the width orlength of the piston and resulting in the formation of shoulders 21.

Parallel with the faces of the segmental portions 16 and 17, boundingthe interspaces 18 and 19 and opening through the ends of the segmentalportions, are perforations 22 and 23, at the ends of which are formedannular depressions 24 and 25, opening throughtthe inner faces of thesaid segmental portions.

Within the perforations 22 and 23,-which form bearings, are disposedspindles 26 and 27, upon the endsof which are disk-shaped rollers 28 and29, having a diameter to fill the depressions 24 and 25, and theperipheries of which rollers project slightly into the interspaces 18and 19.

A slidable abutment comprising parallel sides 30 and 31, having theirends connected by means of blocks 32 and 33, is mounted with the blockslying in the interspaces 18 and 19 and the sides lying between theshoulders 21 and with the edges of the sides and the opposite faces ofthe blocks in positions to engage the projecting portions of theperiphcries of the rollers 28 and 29. Thus will the friction between theabutment and the segmental portions of the piston be reduced to aminimum and at the same time the blocks 32 and 33 have packing-strips 42fill the interspaces 18 and 19 to prevent leakage of steam.

The length'of the slidable abutment is somewhat less than the diameterof the bore of the cylinder, and in order to establish and secure aclose contact of the ends of the abutment with the inner periphery ofthe cylinder said abutment has longitudinal slots 35 formed in its endsand extending transversely thereof and in which slots are disposedpacking blocks 36, having recesses 37 in their rear ends, in which aredisposed spring bow-plates 38, the ends of which engage the floor of theslots 35 and the bows of which engage the walls of the recesses 38, thetendency of these bow spring-plates being to hold the packing-blocksyieldably against the inner periphery of the cylinder.

From the above description it will be seen that with the slide-valve 15in the proper position and with the piston at the proper side of theport if steam be admitted to said port the piston will be rotated to theright and the abutment will have a slidable movement to maintain itsends in engagement with the cylinder periphery. When the end of theabutment last operated upon passes beyond the port 11, the steam behindthat end of the abutment will exhaust through the .port 11 and thepiston will continue its rotation so long as steam be admitted. If nothe position of the slide-valve 15 be reversed, the steam will enterthrough the port 11 and exhaust through the port 10 with a reversemovement of the piston.

It will of course be understood that in practice various modificationsof the specific struc-' ture shown may be made and that any desiredmaterials and proportions may be used Without departing from the spiritof the in- Vention.

As shown in Fig. 3 of the drawings, the sides and 31 of the abutment areslotted for the reception of the shaft 9 of the piston, and thus permitthe movement of the abutment diametrically of the piston.

What I claim is 1. A rotary engine comprising a rotatable pistonincluding segmental portions having a connecting-block and separated attheir ends by interspaces, a slidable abutment comprisin g blocksslidabl y disposed in the interspaces and having mutual connections,perforations formed longitudinally of the piston, recesses in the endsof the piston concentric with the perforations and opening into the saidinterspaces and spindles mounted in the perforations and having rollersat their ends lying in the recesses and projecting into the interspacesto engage the blocks of the abutment.

2. In a rotary engine, the combination with a cylinder and a shaft, of apiston mounted upon the shaft and adapted for rotation, said pistonincluding segmental portions separated at their ends by interspaces andhaving a connecting-block through which said shaft is passed,perforations in the said segmental portions, depressions concentric withthe perforations, spindles in the perforations, rollers at the ends ofthe spindles and lying in the depressions, and projecting into theinterspaces, and an abutment, comprising slotted side pieces disposedwith the shaft in their slots, blocks connecting the side pieces andlying in the interspaces in contact with the rollers, and bearing-blocksseated in the ends of the abutments and having means for holding themyieldably against the inner periphcry of the cylinder.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto affixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

CHARLES M. CONNER.

Witnesses:

JOHN BOLLY, RILEY BAKER.

